Just two games into the 1999-2000 regular season, the UW women's basketball team found itself in overtime once again, this time deadlocked at 68 with Nebraska in the finals of the Time-Warner Classic in Lincoln, Nebraska. Just 80 minutes old, Albright's new season took on an eerie feel to the year gone by.

Weren't six overtime contests last season, an NCAA Division I record, enough?

Apparently the overtime practice last year helped Wisconsin, who looked calm and collected in overtime while running away from the Cornhuskers, 92-85. Tournament MVP and Big Ten Player of the Week Jessie Stomski led the way for UW, pouring in 24 points and hauling down 14 rebounds, including 12 on the defensive side of the court. Stomski, a sophomore, also had a game-high 15 points against Southern Illinois in the Badgers' first win of the season, a 60-50 come-from-behind victory Friday night.

Another second-year player, Tamara Moore, also looked like an old pro this past weekend, coming back from an average performance against SIU to chip in 18 points in the championship game. Junior LaTonya Sims, a legitimate candidate for player of the year honors, ended with 27 points in the tournament.

Four-year starter and three-year captain Kelley Paulus was named to the all-tourney team as well. It appears that Albright has the grizzled group of veterans, and even the youngster have gained quite a bit of experience.

Above all, UW showed that defense wins basketball games, and it turned up the heat against Nebraska. Moore had a game-high five steals, accounting for nearly one third of the Badgers' 18 steals. This tenacity made up for a whole lot of sloppiness on the offensive front, as evidenced by UW's 35 turnovers.

Fortunately, butterfingers also plagued the Huskers, who threw the ball away nearly as many times (32 turnovers). But steals don't paint the whole picture.

Albright loves tough man-to-man defense, and UW gave her just that against Nebraska's offense. Wisconsin held NU to just 37 percent shooting in the first half en route to a 33-26 lead. All in all, it was a gritty effort worthy of a coach's praise.

"We have a lot of respect for Nebraska and for us to come in here and play a defensive game like we did is very encouraging," Albright said. "Holding them to 37 percent shooting in the first half was the key to the game. We played great team defense and great help-side."

And the defensive pressure wasn't just a championship-inspired by-product.

Against Southern Illinois, Wisconsin wove a smothering blanket of defense in the most critical situations. Down 10 points to an inferior opponent and reeling from a 24-8 run that ended the half, Albright's troops regrouped. After being outscored, outrebounded and outdefended in the first 20 minutes, UW pulled off a 66-58 victory.

The Badgers' efforts should not be overestimated, but it was nonetheless an impressive showing under the circumstances.

And a good sign that Badgerball has put its growing pains behind it.